City purse strings

ONE OF the worst things about a union-proposed tax increase in Pueblo is a shocking provision for taking over control of the city purse strings.

The city’s fire and police unions are circulating petitions to force a November election vote on not only adding a new half-cent sales tax but setting up an oversight committee to take City Council’s place in deciding the two departments’ budgets.

First, the nine-member committee would consist of three firefighters and three police officers, thus outnumbering three citizens appointed by the council by 6-3. Then, the ballot initiative would guarantee that the police department and the fire department budgets both would rise by at least the percentage growth in city sales tax revenues but never drop below any decrease in the revenue from year to year.

This is a recipe for fiscal disaster.

“If you take two departments out of council’s budget control, you’re going to have two rich city departments and everyone else will be poor,” warned City Manager Sam Azad. His point is well-taken. Police and fire, combined, represent 55 percent of the entire city budget already.

If those departments are guaranteed a set amount — with no say from the elected City Council — the other municipal operations will suffer. The non-public safety part, currently 45 percent, surely will be eroded over time. And we’re talking about streets, parks, sewage treatment — everything else the city provides.

The ballot initiative states that the new half-cent sales tax would last for only five years, presumably subject to renewal by the city voters before it expires at the end of 2019. However, the annual budget guarantees for police and fire would go on and on with or without the nearly $7 million to be raised annually by the half-cent sales tax.

When public budgeting is dictated by formula, thus ignoring changing circumstances over time, the results are invariably disastrous.